


new day rising

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, nitori being a sweetheart like usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-27
Updated: 2013-09-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 18:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aiichiro couldn't, wouldn't, stop reminding Rin that there was someone who he meant the world to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	new day rising

**Author's Note:**

> Written in less than two hours here I bring you my first fic for these two. I love them so much I couldn't not write anything for them after the last episode, and I took advantage of someone requesting RinTori on tumblr, and here's the result.  
> The title has nothing to do with the fic tho, because I'm lame like that and horrible with titles and I gave this title to the fic because of Foo Fighter's Times Like These, that I think would fit Rin very well after the events of the last episode of Free! so I went along with it.  
> I hope you enjoy!

Nitori watched with concerned eyes at Rin, wishing he was some kind of magical girl that took the despair in the other's heart away and replaced it with cute little kittens and happiness. Ever since Matsuoka-senpai heard that he was being kicked out of the relay the night before, the redhead had been sulking with a heartbreaking expression on his face that made the younger boy ache with need to wipe that sadness away, but alas, he couldn't do anything more than what he was used to and would never stop doing: following him around, cheering on him, offering encouraging words that may mean nothing to the other, but Nitori had no other way of expressing how much he cared for the upperclassman. Not without having a 99% chance of earning a punch to the face, at least.

So when he watched as Rin tried to swim his best despite how shitty he knew the other was feeling, Nitori did his best to cheer for him and raised his voice the loudest so it would reach Matsuoka-senpai. Needless to say, it did little to the upperclassman's ego, but Aiichiro couldn't, wouldn't, stop reminding Rin that there was someone who he meant the world to.

The surprise came with Rin's outburst after his mediocre performance, and in that moment the silver-haired underclassman was filled with hurt; for being yelled at, for seeing such a pained expression on the other's face, with fear; of Rin turning his back on Nitori and following through with his promise of never swimming again. He felt like crying, but knew that needed to be strong, for Rin's sake, for his own sake, so he pushed back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes and desperately asked the other to please calm down, please think what you're saying, you're just having a bad day don't let it get to you _please senpai, listen to me, it will be okay_.

He wasn't surprised, though, when he watched Rin turning his back on him and walking away, and as he turned around and saw the Iwatobi guys watching with shocked expressions on their faces he realized he couldn't get to the redhead, not alone, _not him_ , and couldn't help looking at them with helplessness on his eyes and silently begging them to do what he couldn't. Bring him back. _Have him swim once more_.

He wouldn't deny that it hurt, it hurt a lot, not being the one that Rin needed. But it hurt more when the older boy was hurt. And if these guys were what he needed to be free, then Nitori would gladly step aside.

* * *

 

The time for the relay was here and Nitori found himself anxiously chewing on his nails, wondering if Rin's friends had gotten to him, wondering if he was okay, when would he come back, had they found him? Had they brought him back? Had they managed to make that sadness go away?

His answer came when he spotted the Iwatobi swim club lining up, and among them there was Rin, with his tall, intimidating stance, that wild, messy red hair that he would recognize anywhere, that impossibly large grin that showed off those sharp teeth of his that made him all the more intimidating, but were so unique and Rin-like and Nitori adored them as much as he adored every part that made his senpai who he was. Nitori's heart skipped a beat, and when the older boy dived into the pool, he could hear the concerned tone on Mikoshiba's voice as he held Aiichiro by his waist, lest he fall off the box seat, but the silver-haired boy couldn't be bothered to care; Matsuoka-senpai was swimming, wonderfully so, was smiling, brighter than Nitori had ever seen him smile, and the underclassman was busy pushing his vocal cords to their limit as he cheered on him.

* * *

 

When everything was done and over with, and Mikoshiba had made it clear that he wouldn't kick Rin out of the swimming team, Nitori was ready to turn around and head home with the others, with the redhead by his side, when the other's voice stopped him. He wasn't sure if this was another one of his silly-schoolgirl-in-love delusions, or if it was the setting sun messing with his eyes, or if Rin really was sporting a faint, almost noticeable little blush on his cheeks. He still wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him when Rin moved a hand to the back of his neck and called his name, his given name, Ai. Matsuoka-senpai was calling him _Ai_. He was asking for Nitori to practice again with him. _Together_. Matsuoka—no, _Rin-senpai_.

It was all he could do not to burst into tears right then and there, and it took all of his willpower and even more to not throw himself into Rin's arms.

Later, when they were almost halfway on the road back to Samezuka and everyone was dozing off exhausted from the eventful day they had, Nitori _might_ have been awake when he let his head fall down to rest on Rin's shoulder.

And when he felt soft lips pressing to the top of his head, he made a mental note to write on his diary about the best day of his life, and sighed contently as he joined their teammates on the collective nap on the rest of the way.

He couldn't ask for more, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance of him becoming one of those that could get to Rin's heart.


End file.
